Sutton Corporation Sues City in Land Dispute

The city’s plan to build a park on the property of the upscale apartment building One Sutton Place South just hit a snag.

Sutton Place South Corporation, the owner of the co-op at 57th Street along the East River that’s included C.Z. Guest, Patricia Kennedy Lawford and Sigourney Weaver as residents, has filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court to prevent the city from building a park on land that belongs to the building. The lawsuit was filed after the Department of Transportation alerted the building on May 31 of its plans to start construction at the end of June.

According to a press release, the 1925 deed for One Sutton Place South states that the eastern boundary of the property is the “high water line” of the East River. An agreement between the city and the building in 1939 allowed the city to construct a part of the East River Drive on the building’s property, above the high water line. However, according to the release, this agreement did not affect ownership of the property, and both agreed that the boundary between the building’s property and the city’s riverbed depends upon the location of the “high water line.”

The lawsuit asks the court to establish the location of the high water line as well as issue a permanent injunction against the city and the state from trespassing on the building’s property.

NY Observer

Sutton Place South Corporation filed a lawsuit yesterday to prevent the city from turning waterfront property into a park, contending the city does not own the land.

The lawsuit centers on a 1939 agreement, which defined the boundary between the company’s East River property and city as “the high water line.” The location of that line is not identified.

The city is opposing the motion filed yesterday and plans to proceed with construction if the court finds in its favor.

NY Sun  

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